In the Dark Ages, princesses exfoliated with Fabergé-egg dust and filed fingernails on the edges of gold doubloons. Revel in more-modern and effective beauty luxury with today's deal: for $55, you get your choice of one of three services and a $15 gift card (up to a $180 total value) from Woodhouse Day Spa at either of its two San Antonio locations. If you buy two of today's Groupon, one must be used for a massage and one for your choice of facial.

Sidle up to the spa that San Antonio magazine named Best of the City in 2009, where a spacious oasis of calm awaits. Slough off your outermost facial layer like a snake shedding last year's tired fashions with a 50-minute glycolic-peel facial with a hydrating B5 mask ($140) and an eye-contour treatment ($25) that tightens and firms the eye's naturally occurring sandbags with hydrotherapeutic compresses and cold, marble eye stones. If exfoliation isn't your cup of sports-drink, opt for a 50-minute reconditioning and firming facial with a Vitamin C mask ($130) and an eye-contour treatment ($25). Or calm a back that's screaming in agony with an 80-minute Swedish massage ($125), a full-body relaxation experience that utilizes long, flowing strokes to reduce muscular tension and gently encourage apathetic circulation into caring once more. All treatments are preceded by a complimentary skin analysis using guilt and sparrows to get deep into your pores for a close look at normally unseen, subcutaneous issues that may be percolating. Before leaving, you'll also be given a $15 gift card to use on a future visit or to give to a luxury-deprived friend.

Woodhouse Day Spa provides luxurious experiences for stressed-out folks from every eyeblink and arm wave of life, offering organic approaches to skin care that are rooted in scientific sense. All of its holistic treatments begin and end with rituals that do not involve circles of bearded men holding candle-knives; instead, a calming ritual at the outset eases visitors into a state of tranquil introspection, and awakening rituals at the end utilize essential oils to slowly draw the client back into a state of heightened awareness. Whether you want to improve the condition of your skin or you're bedraggled from a job-interview marathon, a relaxing massage or facial performed by the skilled Woodhouse staff is a sure-fire way to gain top honors at your upcoming poise-and-radiance cage match.

Reviews

Woodhouse Day Spa was named a 2007 Top Day Spa/Medical Spa Chain in America by DAYSPA magazine, featured in San Antonio magazine's Best of the City 2009, and ranked as San Antonio's largest day spa by the San Antonio Business Journal. Citysearchers give it an average of 4.5 stars:

• We're sticking with the Woodhouse as our pick for best spa in town for its inclusive packages, expert service and menu of beauty and health rescues, um, help. – San Antonio
• It's the most relaxing place anywhere. It's like being on a vacation and getting the best pampering ever. – Maddie87, Citysearch
• My expectations were far exceeded from beginning to end. The front desk staff was very helpful and resourceful. The massage therapist knew exactly what pressure to place us in a state of complete relaxation. – Amywhite4848, Citysearch